18.05.2016, 12:31
BHC Detono Zagreb hope to continue their winning streak

NEWS REPORT: Defending champions Detono Zagreb are no short of ambitions when they travel to the ebt Finals 2016 in Thessaloniki

BHC Detono Zagreb hope to continue their winning streak

The beach handball season throws off in earnest this weekend in the Greek city of Thessaloniki which will host the 2016 edition of the ebt Finals, featuring  20 overall teams in men’s and women’s competition.

The defending champions in the men’s event are BHC Detono Zagreb who hope to conquer the European beach handball sphere one more time when the tournament takes place from 20 to 22 May.

Six times already BHC Detono Zagreb have topped the podium at the ebt Finals. They started their journey in 2009 on the island of Corfu where they won their first title. Zagreb then became champions the next three years as well and had to leave the throne only in 2013 when Club Balonmano Playa Alcala from Spain won the ebt Finals in Umag, Croatia.

However, Zagreb came back stronger in 2014 and reclaimed the trophy. The 'Detonators' – as they like to call themselves – once again defended their trophy in 2015 and are now hoping for the triple in Thessaloniki where they won already in 2014.

Meeting the arch-rivals

This year Detono will come to Greece with some well-known players, but also some young ones who proved themselves in the junior national team. Detono’s line-up includes Ivan Jurić, David Henigman, Valentino Valentaković, Josip Matezović, Kristian Malbašić, Lucian Bura, Frano Baković, Filip Goričanec as well as Mladen Paradžik who will also be the assistant to head coach Igor Požeg.

Bura, Baković and Goričanec are former junior national team players while rest of the team has been in the senior national team for quite some time. BHC Detono Zagreb make no secret out of the fact that they see themselves among the favourites in Thessaloniki.

"We’ve started with the preparations in April so I hope that this month and a half will be enough to repeat the past season’s successes. We were champions six times in the men’s and two times in women’s event," says Mladen Paradžik.

In Thessaloniki Detono will play in Group B against arch-rivals and second European beach handball powerhouse BHC SKKM-Ekaterinodar from Russia, BHC Sesvete from Croatia, BHT Auto Forum Petra Plock from Poland and BHC 2areg from Serbia.

The ‘Detonators’ have already won a trophy this season. Zagreb hosted the Jarun Cup from 28 April to 1 May, an international tournament that each year marks the start of beach handball season in Croatia.

Zagreb won the event and featured with two players in the all-star team of the tournament. Ivan Jurić was voted best left wing while Valentino Valentaković received the award for the best defender.

TEXT: Jelena Bagaric / ts